The Ironman bike leg consists of 112 miles following a 2.4 mile swim. Executed correctly, the Ironman bike leg will set you up for a successful marathon. Ride too hard and pay the price! Too slow and you’ll bleed overall time.
The bike leg is a balancing act. You must execute the right intensity while taking in adequate nutrition to finish the bike strong and prepare yourself to run. This is no easy feat.
Below are three strategic tips that should be a main focus during your ride.
Keep a positive attitude throughout the challenges.
The Ironman bike leg will wear on you. You will get tired, sore, bored and/or frustrated. Have a mental plan for when things go wrong (and something will go wrong). Remember, your goal isn’t to win the bike. Your goal is to get through the bike as efficiently as possible to set yourself up for a successful run! Staying positive throughout the bike leg will help you reach that goal.
Managing your goal intensity throughout the Ironman bike leg.
On paper the goal is simple. You want the intensity of your Ironman bike to reflect the maximal effort you can sustain throughout the ride with enough energy to run afterwards. There are many ways to measure intensity like heart rate or power output, but for the purposes of this discussion we’ll use rate of perceived exertion (RPE).
Most athletes feel a sustainable goal Ironman effort falls somewhere between an RPE of 5-7. Advanced triathletes tend to fall towards the upper end of this range and beginners the lower end. Click here to see a graphic of how RPE overlaps to certain zone models.
During the bike leg, I like to think of an athlete’s goal intensity as a floor. Any 112 mile bike ride will have harder and easier sections due to factors like hills, wind, sun exposure or time of day. Hills offer an excellent example. When climbing, let your RPE rise during that section of the course. Just make sure you return to your goal RPE after you crest the hill. Do not put yourself in a situation where you’re overreaching the bike for long periods of time. Manage your intensity throughout and have the courage to be patient. You’ll be glad you did on the run!
Keep fueling at the top of your mind!
Fueling is critical. I can’t emphasize this enough. On the bike, you’ll need to take in enough fuel to make up for what you lost in the swim, sustain your bike ride and set yourself up for a successful run! Typically athletes measure how much to take in in terms of carbohydrates and electrolytes.
Every athlete is different but the rule of thumb is that athletes should take in 90 grams of carbs per hour to adequately fuel the bike leg (in a mixture of liquids and solids). For many athletes this amount of carb intake is something that needs to be trained ahead of the race.
Have a clear fueling strategy and execute it throughout the bike leg. Do not deviate from your plan! Many athletes time their fueling or have some type of on-course marker for when to take in more. Develop a strategy that works for you and take it as seriously as you do your intensity on the bike.
Keeping these key strategy areas in mind throughout your ride will pay dividends when you get to the run!